A dream team to design new turboprop for European unmanned applications

A team of industry leaders is formed in order to design new  turboprop engine for European unmanned applications.

Who had formed the team -  Safran Helicopter Engines, ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbH (ZFL) and MT-Propeller.  This 100% European turboprop will be derivated of Safran's Ardiden 3 and use technologies matured through its Tech TP technological demonstrator, which ran for the first time in June 2019. Within this partnership, MT-Propeller will be responsible for the propeller and ZFL for the PAGB (propeller and accessory gearbox). 

Commented Bruno Bellanger, Safran Helicopter Engines EVP Programs, "This partnership lays the foundation of a solid cooperation between renowed actors in the field of aircraft propulsion. It will offer the European aerospace industry a 100% European engine solution for new unmanned applications, featuring high levels of design maturity and competitive operating and maintenance costs".

This turboprop will be optimized for operation at medium and high altitude, up to 45,000 feets and will benefit from an easy operability  thanks to a unique throttle and a full authority digital engine and propeller control (FADEPC) for both power and propeller pitch.  

Tech TP is part of the Clean Sky 2 research and innovation programme. Its aims are to validate the technologies required to develop a new-generation turboprop,  featuring a compact, lightweight architecture and offering 15% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions over current engines. 

The Ardiden 3 is a new-generation turboshaft in the 1,700 to 2,000 shp power range. Two EASA-certified models, the Ardiden 3C and 3G, have completed over 10,000 hours of tests, confirming high levels of design maturity and competitive operating and maintenance costs. In addition, more than 250 Ardiden 1 engines are already in service, completing over 200,000 flying hours. The Ardiden 3 features a remarkably compact modular architecture, a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio and low cost-of-ownership.